Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian signed the charter in Switzerland in January along with leaders of more than two dozen other states, including Turkey and Azerbaijan, that accepted Trump’s invitation to join the new body tasked with resolving international conflicts.
Addressing the National Assembly, Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan said Armenia’s involvement in the board will help to strengthen its ties with the United States.
The ensuing ratification of the charter was backed by not only members of Pashinian’s Civil Contract party but also lawmakers from the main opposition Strong Armenia alliance. Eight deputies representing the other parliamentary opposition force, Hayastan, abstained from the vote.
None of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council other than the United States has joined the initiative. Other major Western nations such as Germany and Italy have also shunned it, highlighting concerns that it could undermine the work of the United Nations.
A participating country must pay $1 billion for permanent membership in the Board of Peace. Yerevan opted for a three-year membership which does not place any financial obligations on it and can be renewed at Trump’s discretion.
Still, Pashinian pledged in April that his government will contribute an unspecified sum to the board. He said it does not want to have “the status of a poor relative.” Mirzoyan insisted, however, that Yerevan has made no such payment to date.